YEMEN: Rising from the Rubble

November 28, 2012

4 min read

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YEMEN:

Rising from the Rubble

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Once upon a time, the city of Sana’a was legendary for its beauty, prosperity and cleanliness. In the 9th–10th century, the Yemeni geographer al-Hamdani was supposed to have said: “The least dwelling there has a well or two, a garden and long cesspits separate from each other, empty of ordure, without smell or evil odors, because of the hard concrete and fine pasture land and clean places to walk.” Fast forward to December 2012: Following eight months of conflict, even the UNESCO World Heritage site that is the Old City of Sana’a had become a dump site and a considerable health risk. With social services, including garbage collection, grinding to a halt for months, mountains of waste had made some narrow streets impassable and changed the landscape.

This was the case in all the main cities of Yemen: Taizz, Aden, Marib, as well as Sana’a. Moreover, the economy was on the verge of collapse. With Yemen’s oil and gas pipelines repeatedly sabotaged, fuel shortages became a facet of daily life, and the export earnings dipped. As businesses were forced to close down due to the prevailing insecurity in cities, scores of Yemenis found themselves jobless, a particularly serious threat in a country where those under the age of 25 comprise 75 percent of the population. High unemployment contributes to crime, violence, smuggling, and terrorism; unemployed, vulnerable young men are particularly susceptible to violent extremist tendencies.

It is against this backdrop that USAID’s Community Livelihoods’ Project (CLP) implemented a series of labor intensive rehabilitation activities right after the agreement brokered by the Gulf Cooperating Countries was signed in late November 2011, ending the political stalemate and ushering in the transition period with a snap presidential election. As the fighting stopped, CLP engaged a total of 9,390* young Yemeni men and women to clear up the rubble, repair sidewalks and roads, and plant trees. The labor intensive rehabilitation activities achieved several outcomes: the community benefited from services provided by the youth, while the youth seized the opportunity to work, earning some pocket money, investing in their communities, and raising their self-esteem.

Mahmoud Yaseen, 27, is among the youth beneficiaries of CLP’s labor intensive rehabilitation activity. A graduate of Aden University’s Faculty of Education, Mahmoud was laid off along with his colleagues when poor security forced the closure of the foreign factory at which he used to work. He shared his perspective on the CLP-supported activity: “This kind of work should not be considered shameful or demeaning, and we should not be embarrassed by it. Many youth will benefit from projects like this. In the current situation, the young have a lot of free time with nothing to do.”

As public spaces in major cities were rehabilitated through the CLP-supported activities, the population increasingly took ownership of its communities. In Sana’a’s Old City, youth beneficiaries received training on proper sanitation, water conservation, historical preservation, and stewardship. In celebration of Earth Day, for three days, 150 youth and members of local marginalized community groups were engaged to remove trash from streets and plant approximately 150 trees. On May 5, 2012, U.S. Deputy Chief of Mission, Elizabeth Richard, joined the youth, Republic of Yemen Government (RoYG) representatives, and U.S. Embassy and CLP staff, leading the planting of additional trees and delivering remarks on the importance of environmental protection.

The labor intensive rehabilitation strategy also brought unexpected benefits to local communities in Yemen’s south-western Taizz governorate. In a country where water scarcity has become a critical issue, the cleanups led to the discovery of several natural spring water sources in an area where local residents had been left without a safe water supply. However, following two weeks of cleaning and rubbish removal under CLP’s labor intensive rehabilitation activity in early 2012, the project’s youth participants unearthed a series of dried up canal streams and natural spring water sources. Now, 800 local households in Taizz are enjoying a free and regular supply of uncontaminated drinking water.

The story has to be told: in Yemen, as soon as the fighting stopped in the wake of the Arab Spring, the cleanup of public spaces began, slowly revealing not just echoes of the beauty of an ancient past, but more importantly, symbolically unveiling a landscape of possibilities.

* This figure includes Phases 2 and 3 of the labor intensive rehabilitation activity in the Old City of Sana’a conducted from early August 2012 through mid-September 2012. A total of 1,000 tons of waste have been remove removed from 40 sites this time.

– Dorelyn Jose, Communications Outreach Officer, Community Livelihoods Project[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

MOROCCO: Keeping Teens in School

November 28, 2012

2 min read

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MOROCCO:

Keeping Teens in School

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Some challenges transcend borders; undoubtedly though, solutions start locally, from within. Moroccans are currently experiencing a fourteen percent middle school dropout rate. A limited education for these youth often jeopardizes their future, resulting in long periods of unemployment which in turn make them vulnerable to exploitation by criminal or violent groups.

USAID has partnered with Morocco’s Ministry of Education to address this challenge by modernizing teaching methods all over the country. With assistance from USAID education experts, the Ministry of Education has modernized teacher training materials, equipping teachers with strategies to help students excel academically and stay in school. More than 300 teacher trainers are using the new methods and materials introduced by USAID during the 2011-2012 academic year; they have reached nearly 2,500 trainee-teachers.

Morocco’s professional teacher trainers welcome this initiative because it gives them a way to help teachers address real problems they experience in the classroom. Mohamed Ouilali, a trainer based in Marrakesh, noted that, “USAID is very effective in raising the quality of teacher training in Morocco. The drop-out problem is real in this country. USAID’s collaboration with the Moroccan Ministry of Education is undeniably important and comes at the right time to meet this challenge in the changing educational context in the country.”
Dissimulated through Morocco’s teacher training institutes, the teaching emphasis has shifted to include: strengthening critical thinking, responding to student apathy, and addressing remedial learning needs. Additionally, management training for school directors ensures efficient and transparent use of school resources.

As a result of applying USAID’s training in effective instruction, Mr. Abdelkarim Choklate, an art trainer based in the Tangiers teacher training center, declared: “Thanks to USAID, teacher trainees experienced ways of teaching which are the opposite of what their students are accustomed to in the past. They now give more importance to flexible time management and to group activities which enliven students and provide an opportunity for peer to peer learning.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

LIBYA: Integrating Libyan Women into the Democratic Process

November 28, 2012

1 min read

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LIBYA:

Integrating Libyan Women into the Democratic Process

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]In the wake of the overthrow of the Ghadafi regime, Libyans are making their transition to a more participatory form of government. Fully integrating women into the new democratic process is essential to sure that democracy is inclusive and sustainable. Funded through a grant from the U.S.-Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI)/Community Driven Grants Program (CDGP), the Institute Supporting Women’s Participation in the Decision Making Process is playing a critical role in supporting women’s involvement in the political process through its awareness raising activities.

At the request of numerous women of the community, the local council of the Sabri District in Benghazi invited the Institute to conduct an Election and Constitution Awareness Raising town hall campaign. Twenty women participated in the campaign. The event featured a comprehensive explanation of the upcoming election process and a broad overview of the elected National Congress, the legislative body responsible for appointing the committee to draft Libya’s constitution and for setting in place a transitional government until a constitutional referendum occurs.

The women in attendance actively voiced their expectations for transparency and good governance among elected officials.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

YEMEN: Transforming the World of Children Living in Conflict

November 28, 2012

5 min read

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YEMEN:

Transforming the World of Children Living in Conflict

[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=”2/3″][vc_column_text]Breaking down the barriers to literacy in a conflict country is one of the great development challenges of the 21st century. And one that Yemen is not alone in tackling. Save the Children estimates nearly 40 million children worldwide are kept from learning due to armed conflict. In Yemen, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs estimates some 300,000 children out of school due to armed conflict. These children face a bleak future, forced to neglect dreams of becoming teachers, doctors, engineers, or any other profession that requires true literacy. Limited access to education creates a vicious cycle for illiterate non-skilled youth making them vulnerable to recruitment by militant groups and to becoming part of the conflict.

While attending a recent USAID-supported Community Livelihoods Project (CLP) training in Sana’a, Yemen, I was struck by one question posed to some 25 trainees by the lecturer, “Who doesn’t remember their first teacher?” I can’t say exactly if I remember my first grade teacher, but deep in the recesses of my mind, I do recall either my kindergarten or first grade teacher introducing me to reading. That teacher helped me take one of the most profound steps in my existence – the leap from illiteracy to reading and the opening of a world full of possibilities.

In February 2012, Yemen embarked on a new era in its history with the successful referendum-like election of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Al-Hadi. At the time, the country seemed to be on the verge of having its own Arab Spring. However, the continued presence of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the conflict, in particular in the South’s Abyan governorate where government forces deployed to drive out militants, underscored that Yemen remained a fragile state. It is estimated some 150,000 people fled their homes for neighboring Aden and Lahj governorates where they occupied 74 schools to set up temporary shelters. This meant that neither the internally displaced children from Abyan were in school, nor the children of Aden had schools to attend.

The rate of illiteracy in Yemen is already quite high, and the ongoing conflicts across the country prevent increasing numbers of children from attending school. In the Saada governorate in the north in 2009 and 2010, 725 schools were closed during five months of fighting between government forces and Houthi rebels, and 220 schools were destroyed. There is growing concern that the destruction or unavailability of school infrastructure and qualified teachers may destroy the hopes and ambitions of an entire generation of Yemeni children. They may never experience that magical moment when they progress to become readers and embark on a journey that transforms their lives.

There is also strong evidence that even the children in school are in need of improving their reading skills. The very low performance of 4th graders on The Trend in International Mathematics and Science (TTIMS) study assessment in 2003 and 2007 determined that 1st to 3rd graders are not learning to read. Upon investigation of the study’s results, UNDP reported that Yemeni teachers explained students’ low performance as a consequence of their inability to read test questions.

TTIMS and other studies have consistently shown poor performance in reading of Yemeni children, causing the Ministry of Education to make improvements in reading scores a national priority. Working with the Ministry, CLP has developed materials and is training Master Trainers from governorates, such as Abyan, who will in turn train teachers at the school level.

The project is not only training teachers in how to best teach children to read, but also is rehabilitating classrooms and increasing parental and community support to schools and reading. Through its Education sector, CLP expects to improve the reading achievement of 125,000 school children in grades 1 to 3 resulting from the improved teaching methods and materials for 10,000 teachers.

“I am an Arabic language specialist but have never introduced the Arabic Alphabet in such a way; curricula always focus on the letter name and that’s what makes the students confused when it comes to blending the sounds into words. Early Grade Reading focuses on the letter sounds and common words that enable kids to blend the sound into words,” said Dekra Saeed, one of CLP’s Master Trainers who will go on to train teachers at the school level. “The method has an excellent approach– it’s easy, and I have even started using it with my own daughter.”

CLP’s support will help the Yemeni Ministry of Education to develop its curriculum and teacher training modules for early grade reading, ultimately improving the ministry’s capacity to implement a nationwide, effective reading curriculum.
“The CLP program is scripted: most teachers have no background in teaching reading, what to do, what to say, how to incorporate ways kids respond. The Early Grade Reading technique has been proven in many African countries and within three or four months, kids are effective readers,” said Sandra Hollingsworth, International Reading Specialist and Senior Associate at Creative which is implementing the CLP project.

“The children can read words and understand their meaning and provide answers to inferential questions. For instance, there is a story of a mother sewing a button on her daughter’s coat. The child while playing loses the button and is very sad and apprehensive about going home. But, when she does return home, her mother simply says next time I will use stronger thread. It’s a simple story but one which a child who does not read will not understand.”

Capitalizing on 21st century technology, CLP also sends text messages to parents ensuring children are reading at home. “Incorporating parents into the process brings to the community that literacy is important,” said Hollingsworth. “This enables individuals to evaluate and entertain different perspectives, so reading is essential to conflict countries and not a luxury.”

The 1987 Nobel Peace Laureate and former President of Costa Rica, Oscar Arias Sánchez, noted, “An investment today in the education of a child is a source of economic growth, improved public health, and greater social mobility for the future.” This is a challenge that the CLP project in Yemen is taking on one step at a time.

— Alexandra Pratt, Communications and Outreach Officer[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/12″][/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/4″][vc_widget_sidebar sidebar_id=”sidebar-primary”][/vc_column][/vc_row]

Opinion: All I want for Christmas is…

November 9, 2012

2 min read

Op-Ed Contributor (Washington, DC)

Now that the Presidential election has been decided with the reelection of President Obama, and both houses of Congress support foreign assistance—even when they say they do not—the second term offers the opportunity for turning the page on how foreign aid is formulated and delivered effectively. While Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan are likely to diminish as the cash cows of American policy, the Arab Spring and Syrian uprising have put the Middle East and North Africa back in the spotlight of foreign policy, along with emerging threats and opportunities in Sub-Sahara Africa. So, how should we react and what should we do? What follows is my stocking list. (more…)

USAID Launches New Youth in Development Policy!

November 9, 2012

2 min read

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Magdalena Fulton (Washington, DC)

Photo by: David Medina, Alianza Joven Honduras

Building on USAID’s decades of experience working with young people, this policy provides guidance on pursuing smarter, more innovative, and more cost effective approaches to empowering youth to contribute to and benefit from their countries’ development efforts. The policy is closely aligns with Creative’s mission and vision of accelerating economic growth, strengthening societies, and responding to the needs and aspirations of people everywhere, especially young people. (more…)

Securing the Arab Spring’s Elections

October 10, 2012

2 min read

Patrick W. Quirk (Washington, DC)

Creative’s Conflict Management and Electoral Security Team Gleans Insights from Across the Globe Relevant to Upcoming Polls

Over the last year in what has been termed the “Arab Spring,” the collapse of long-standing regimes in countries such as Tunisia, Egypt and Libya has created space for political contestation that citizens in these countries had never before experienced.

Having demonstrated their strength through actions on the street, citizens shifted to establishing institutions of government that reflect the popular will and cultural contours of their polities. Through concerted action and collaboration within and across state- and non-state sectors, much has been achieved.

The people of Egypt and Libya determined that elections were to be their chosen instrument for determining governance and, for the first time in decades, participated in largely open and fair elections. Individuals and political parties alike campaigned for votes.

The citizens of the Arab Spring look to electoral processes as crucial to legitimizing government, promoting accountability and good governance, as well as contributing to national stability. While elections can serve these needs if administered impartially and in a peaceful environment, they can also de-stabilize nations and de-legitimize governments if mired in conflict and violence.

What is more, the potential for violence can keep citizens away from the polls and deter candidates from openly campaigning. Recent events in Libya and other countries evidence that, despite forward progress and remarkable gains across the Arab world, these processes and ongoing transitions remain fragile. This has particular implications for other countries in the MENA region slated to hold elections in the coming months—should upcoming polls experience conflict and violence, transitions risk being de-railed and the legitimacy of governments questioned. (more…)

Libyans Unite Against Breast Cancer

October 4, 2012

1 min read

Elisabeth Bond (Washington, DC)

Breast cancer day in Libya 2012.

For the first time since their 2011 revolution, Libyans took to the streets to celebrate something other than their newly-found political liberty.

On Monday, October 1, hundreds of Libyans marked the beginning of Breast Cancer Awareness Month by marching three kilometers through Benghazi in a sea of pink. Holding signs and singing songs, women and activists spread awareness for the widely misunderstood disease.

Dr. Rehab Shembesh, a clinical oncologist and co-founder of The Cure Foundation Libya, explained that many cancer patients feel embarrassment and fail to seek treatment for their ailments due to poor societal acceptance of the disease.

To motivate onlookers and participants into action, the Breast Cancer Awareness March concluded with a spectacularly pink fireworks display. Monday’s event was the first large-scale public awareness campaign for cancer in Libya, and it marked the beginning of a month-long campaign of television and radio public service announcements, pink storefronts in Benghazi’s business district, and educational visits to universities, women’s health clubs, and mosques.

The Breast Cancer Awareness March was hosted by six local civil society organizations, including two organizations funded by Creative’s Libya Community Driven Grants Program (CDGP) – The Cure Foundation Libya and Ayadina Association for Societal Solidarity. Libya CDGP is funded by the US Department of State’s Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI).

Elisabeth Bond, Creative CDGP Technical Manager, Communities in Transition Division

IN MEMORY OF A LEADER AND A FRIEND

September 14, 2012

2 min read

Alexandra Barnett (Washington, DC)

The attack earlier this week on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, and the violence that has since surged, primarily targeting embassies throughout the Muslim world, is sobering.

Ambassador Stevens was a friend to the Libyan people who was steadfast in his support of Libya’s transition to democracy. The deaths of Ambassador Stevens and three of his staff have sparked an outcry among those working to support peace throughout the world.

Creative and our partners will continue to work towards building a new and better Libya, one that meets the dreams and aspirations of the majority of Libyans. Such a vision seems more challenging now, making our work now more important than ever.

The press release below, written by Maan Nabneeha Movement, a Libyan civil society organization focused on elections and women’s participation in government, captures their sentiment as the Libyan people face yet another obstacle on the path to freedom and tolerance.

: Ambassador Stevens speaks with a representative from Maan Nabneeha Movement in Tripoli during the launch of Creative/Microsoft Public Private Partnership, funded by the US State Department/Middle East Partnership Initiative. June 2012

PRESS RELEASE
Maan Nabneeha Movement
Tripoli, Libya

“I consider myself lucky to participate in this amazing period of change and hope in Libya.”
– Ambassador Chris Stevens

Those were the last words of a great friend for Libyans, Ambassador Chris Stevens; he was a friend more than just an Ambassador. We felt grief on the tragedy of Mr. Ambassador Chris Stevens’ death; we condemn this barbaric action which does not represent us Libyans and Muslims. We send our sincere condolences to his family and friends.

The news of Mr. Ambassador Chris Stevens’ death awakened us Libyans, to danger of those irresponsible and fanatic elements who are threatening our freedom, democracy and stability of our country. Our grief has turned to anger and anger to courage; now we are more determined to rebuild new civilized democratic Libya; we promise, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

We will not forget you Mr. Ambassador, Chris Stevens, and you will always be there in our hearts and minds.

The Maan Nabneeha Movement is a Libyan civil society organization working to support women candidates in the National Assembly elections, and support and encourage women voters.

FGM Libya — Photo courtesy of Free Generation Movement, Libya

Message from Our President on the Events in Libya and Egypt

September 12, 2012

1 min read

M. Charito Kruvant (Washington, DC)

The events of the past two days in Egypt and now Libya in the news are sobering. Our sympathy and support go to our partners who serve the United States in our embassies abroad. Creative extends our deepest condolences to the families of the victims in Libya.

As a community, we value the commitment to the greater good we share and work every day to achieve. Creative’s Mission and Core Values are what give us the foresight and strength to persevere at difficult times.

Peace,

Celebrating International Literacy Day: The Path to Reading

September 7, 2012

7 min read

Diane Prouty, Karen Tietjen and Mark Sweikhart (Washington, DC)

Students reading in one of India’s School Dropout Prevention Program Schools.

Three researchers sit at the back of a grade 2 classroom in a rural community hours from the capital city. This is one of the last classrooms on their list of schools to observe. They have visited classrooms around the country for the past two weeks collecting data on the teaching and learning of reading. Nearly 90 children are huddled together in 15 groups at wobbly tables and benches in the classroom they are visiting today. Most of the children squeeze tightly together on the benches while those who are unable to find space at a bench lean against the shoulders of those who can find a seat and observe from behind. Most students are engaged in the lesson but not all. Some whisper in the ear of a nearby student; others stare out the window watching villagers walk through the school grounds on their way to the market or at cows grazing on sporadic shoots of grass peeping out of the ground. There is always something going on to distract them when they don’t want to listen to the lesson anymore and the cacophony of noise outside their classroom makes it easy to ignore the noise inside the classroom.

The brownish mud spackled walls of the classroom are bare except for a teacher-made poster of the letters of the alphabet and a large poster about mosquitoes and the dangers of stagnant standing water. At the front of the classroom is a tired, worn out blackboard whose once smooth surface is now blemished by cracks and large brown gouges. The chalk makes faint marks on its surface which you can barely read even from the middle of the classroom. The teacher has written several sentences and lists of words on the board that don’t seem to have anything in common. Her penmanship is distorted by the uneven surface of the blackboard further exacerbating the struggle to read what she has written in letters so small even those sitting in the front of the classroom need to squint to see them. (more…)

DEVEX interviews Creative’s Carla da Rosa Borges on Libya

August 13, 2012

4 min read

Libyan-Rebel — Photo by: Ammar Abd Rabbo / CC BY-NC

Libyans take charge of their own development

(By Jennifer Brookland, DEVEX)

Nearly one year after the fall of Moammar Gadhafi, Libya is still in somewhat of a honeymoon phase. Hope and excitement are palpable despite ongoing violence and deep political uncertainty.

The ruling national assembly assumed power from the National Transitional Council on Aug. 9 in the first peaceful transition of power in the country’s history. The new government faces many challenges, but has the support of an international community that has learned some lessons in Iraq and Afghanistan on how to facilitate change — and on how not to.

Carla O. da Rosa Borges worked in Afghanistan for several years and now directs Creative Associates’ community-driven grant program in Libya. The program promotes civic engagement through projects that enhance emerging civil society groups’ capacity to represent citizens in the national reform dialogue. (more…)